Method of refining wax



Patented Nov. 11, 1 952 METHOD OF REFINING WAX John J. Naugle, New York, NY.

N Drawing. Application J anu ary 31 1349,

Serial No. 73,869 a 1 1 This invention relates to the refining of wax, especially, but not necessarily, beeswax.

In the manufacture of candles, particularly, those intended for religious purposes, it is highly desirable that the wax employed have certain characteristics that it has heretofore been difficultto attain. For example, such a wax should be free from objectionable color and odor-imparting bodies; it should be free from impurities which cause sputter; it should be hard, firm and durable; it should be more stable than has heretofore been the case; and it should preferably havea controllable burning rate, wherebythe candles made therefrom can be caused to bur for predetermined lengths of time.

It is,therefore, among the objects of the present invention to provide a process for refining wax which results in a final product having the above referred to properties.

It is another object of the present invention to accomplish the foregoing in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner.

These, and other objects of the present invention, which will become more apparent as the detailed; description thereof progresses, are attained, briefly, in the following manner:

The crude wax ismelted, and has an activated alkaline earth and, sometimes, also an activated alkaline earth metal oxide, added thereto. During the addition of these materials the mixture is continuously agitated and its temperature and pressure are increased to points within certain critical ranges. these temperatures and pressures for certain critical lengths of time, at the end of which the mixture is filtered and molded.

In the accompanying specification there shall be described an illustrative embodiment of the process of the present invention. It is, however, to be clearly understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the exact details herein described for purposes of illustration only, inasmuch as changes therein may be made without the exercise of invention and within the true spirit and scope of the claims hereto appended.

Referring now more in detail to the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the refining process of the present invention, the first step in the practice thereof is to melt the crude wax which, as previously stated may be, but does not necessarily have to be, beeswax. If the wax being treated is beeswax, this melting operation, and all subsequent operations, too, are preferably carried out in vessels of either stainless steel or certain aluminum alloys. It has been found that iron,

The mixture is maintained at ,4, Claims. (Cl. 260-427) 2. copper, tin, zinc, etc. processing beeswax in that they tint it or otherwise detrimentally affect it. It has also been found that rubber, which is ordinarily'used in making gaskets, should also be kept away from beeswax. Neoprene, a synthetic rubber, has, however, been found suitable, as has leather.

After the wax has been melted, there is added thereto an alkaline earth which has previously been activated by treatment with an acid until as water extract of the earth has a pH of about 4. Preferably, the alkaline earth consists, chiefly, of montmorillonite,

(Mg.Ca) OAlzO35SiO2n (H2O) more volatile oils, break down certain of the.

odor-imparting bodies naturally present in the wax, and transform certain coloring matter present into compounds more amenable to absorption by the earth, and with steam injection, to assure more uniform distribution of the heat throughout the mass and to aid in the oxidizing function of the air.

When the wax is intended to be used in the manufacture of candles whose burning rate it is desired to control, there is added to the activated earth, before it is mixed with the molten wax, an activated alkaline earth metal oxide, for example, activated MgO. This material, being highly alkaline, has the property, when introduced into the wax, of saponifying some of the lighter oils thereof, thereby increasing the melting pointof the finished wax and causing the candles made therefrom to burn more slowly. The amount of this material, which is added to the earth therefore enables control over the burning rate of the candles made from the finished wax. The specific amount of the MgO added may be from mere traces to about 1%, based on the weight of the earth used.

In any event,. whether or not activated MgO are wholly unsuitable for The acid used for activation is, preferably,

is added to the activated earth, the molten wax, with one or both of these materials present, is heated in an enclosedvessel to a temperature of from about 200 to about 300 degress F. under a pressure of from about 10 to about 25 lbs/sq. in. and maintained under these conditions for from about 10 to about 60 minutes.

The time of treatment, the temperature, and the pressure, all within the ranges above mentioned, depend upon the quality of the wax initially employed, the extent and nature of the impurities contained therein, and the final characteristics desired of the refined product.

At the end of the heating period, the wax is pumped to a pressure-type filter wherein the precipitate formed therein is removed, after which it may be molded in any preferred manner.

It has been found that wax treated as aforesaid is substantially free of all objectionable color and odor-imparting bodies, can be made to have varying melting points within wide limits, and is possessed of other highly desirable properties such as those referred to in earlier portions of this specification.

This completes the description of the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It will be noted from all of the foregoing that the process results in the production of a highly valuable form of wax, and it is simple and economicalto practice.

Other objects :and advantages of the process of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which the same relates.

Iclaim:

1. The method of refining crude wax which comprises heatin the same in the presence of a mixture of an acid-treated alkaline earth and an activated alkaline earth metal oxide for from about 10 to about 60 minutes at a temperature of from about 200 to about 300 degrees F. under a pressure of from about 10 to about 25 lbs/sq. in.; and thereafter removing therefrom the resulting precipitate.

2. The method of refining crude wax which comprises heating the same in the presence of a mixture of an acid-treated alkaline earth and an activated alkaline earth metal oxide for from about 10 to about 60 minutes at a temperature of from about 200 to about 300 degrees F. under a pressure of from about 10 to about 25 lbs/sq. in.; said alkaline earth being present to the extent of from about 1% to'about 10%, based on 4 the weight of said wax, and, said metal oxide being present to the extent of from about a mere trace to about 1%, based on the weight of said alkaline earth; and thereafter removing therefrom the resulting precipitate.

3. The method of refining crude wax which comprises heating the same in the presence of a mixture of an acid-treated alkaline earth and an activated alkaline earth metal oxide for from about 10 to about 60 minutes at a temperature of from about 200 to about 300 degrees F. under a pressure of from about 10 to about 25 lbs/sq. in.; said alkaline earth consisting, primarily, of (Mg.Ca,)OAl2O35SiO2n(I-I2O), with moderate amounts of (Al2Fe)2Os3SiOzn(I-I2O) and and said metal oxide consisting, primarily, of MgO; and thereafter removing therefrom the resulting precipitate.

4. The method of refining crude wax which comprises heating the same in the presence of a mixture of an alkaline earth and an activated alkaline earth metal oxide; said alkaline earth having first been treated with an acid until a water extract of the earth has a pH of about 4; said alkaline earth consisting, primarily, of

(lVIg.Ca)OAl2O35SiO2n(I-I2O) with moderate amounts of (AIZFG) 2033Si0277. (H20) and 2MgO3SiOzn(HzO), and said metal oxide consisting, primarily, of MgO; and thereafter removing therefrom the resulting precipitate.

JOHN J. NAUGLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Names. page 222, Industrial Book 00., N. Y., 1930. 

1. THE METHOD OF REFINING CRUDE WAX WHICH COMPRISES HEATING THE SAME IN THE PRESENCE OF A MIXTURE OF AN ACID-TREATED ALKALINE EARTH AND AN ACTIVATED ALKALINE EARTH METAL OXIDE FOR FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 60 MINUTES AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 200 TO ABOUT 300 DEGREES F. UNDER A PRESSURE OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 25 LBS./SQ. IN,; AND THEREAFTER REMOVING THEREFROM THE RESULTING PRECIPITATE. 